Batman vs Love
by bucktooth22
Summary: Batman and Nightwing can only seem to argue but there is something under those yells and arguments. Could it be love?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Alas I do not own Batman.

Batman snarled as the Joker took out a knife. Nightwing was supposed to be here by now but he may have bailed. Tied up to a steel chair with the Joker standing over you holding a knife is not the ideal way to spend your night.

"Ready?" Joker asked with his ever present grin. Batman only glared in response. "Good then. Let us begin." Joker grinned and leaned in. The first cut was to his face, across his cheek. It was just a light cut, barely even stung but Batman knew it was going to get much worse if Nightwing didn't arrive. Batman snarled as the Joker dug the knife into his leg. "Had enough yet?" Joker asked as he left the knife embedded in Batman's leg and got another one. The second knife was dragged across the other cheek and then embedded in the other leg. Joker cackled in malicious glee. The third knife was about to make contact with Batman's knee when there was a crash. Joker frowned and put the knife down. "Sorry Batman but we'll have to stop for now." Joker said as he moved behind Batman and out of his line of sight. Batman struggled and tried to free himself from his bonds but it was no use and the movement only hurt his legs which both still had knives in them. He snarled and thrashed about in the ropes.

"You should stop before you hurt yourself." Chide a voice from behind him. Batman repressed a relieved sigh at the sound of Nightwing's voice. He shuddered when he felt Nightwing's cool fingers against his wrists to untie the ropes. He felt them loosen around his wrists and then he felt the one on his chest fall.

"Better?" Nightwing asked. Batman rubbed his wrists roughly before pulling the knives out of his legs. Batman left the question unanswered as he tried to get up. His legs wobbled and he fell back down to the chair. "You can't walk." Nightwing said matter-of-factly.

"I can." Batman retorted. "I'm fine."

"No you're not." Nightwing said a bit more harshly than necessary. Batman shot him a glare but before he could make a snappy retort Nightwing had thrown him over his shoulders.

"Put. Me. Down." Batman snarled. Nightwing let out a small chuckle but didn't comply. As he trotted off through the hall Nightwing had to step over bodies. Joker's henchmen were all scatter throughout the hall. "You did all this?" Batman asked incredulously.

"I was angry." Nightwing said simply.

"Most people find more normal ways of expressing anger. Angry sex. Yell. Argue. Punch a wall." Batman said as his eyes fell on Joker. He was pinned to a wall by knives through his arms and legs. There was blood everywhere and Joker's head hung limp. "Nightwing." Batman gasped at the scene. Nightwing said nothing he simply kept moving. They got outside and Batman was finally put down as he landed with a thud on the passenger seat of the batmobile. They drove in silence until they reached the bat cave.

"What was that?" Batman demanded.

"That was me saving your life." Nightwing retorted.

"I mean what you did to Joker." Batman snarled. Nightwing sighed and got out of the car. For a moment Batman was scared Nightwing would leave him there until he saw a flash of blue and the door was opened.

"He got what he deserved." Nightwing growled angrily as he scooped Batman up bridal style. Batman wrapped his arms around Nightwing's neck.

"What happened to everything I've ever taught you?" Batman demanded. "Right out the window."

"I lost control okay!" Nightwing barked. "I lost it and people got hurt. People who deserved to be killed got _hurt_. I should have killed them all!" Nightwing yelled as he dropped Batman into a chair and stormed off.

"What happened this time?" Alfred asked in his lilted British voice.

"You should have seen it Alfred. It was like he lost his mind." Batman said as he tugged off his mask. He felt blood smear across his face but he was too tired to care. "Bodies everywhere." Batman mumbled before drifting off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Alas I do not own Batman.

Batman woke up and was surprised to find himself in his bed. He remembered drifting off in the batcave.

"Awake at last." Said a shadow from the corner. Batman sighed and tried to push himself out of bed but he became dizzy and fell back down. "Alfred gave you some stuff to keep you sleeping. He'll want to know you're awake." Dick Grayson said as he moved to the door. With one last glance over his shoulder at Bruce's slumped frame he left. Alfred was soon next to him checking everything.

"How did I get here?" Bruce asked as Alfred checked the stitches on his legs.

"Dick carried you." Alfred responded.

"Where did he get off to?" Bruce asked trying his hardest to sound casual.

"He went to find Barbara. They've both been very worried about you." Alfred said.

"I'm fine." Bruce said as he sat up to prove his point. The room swam in front of him but he forced himself to stand. He felt bile rise in the back of his throat as the pain became unbearable but he forced a calm expression. Alfred shook his head in disappointment. Bruce saw Dick come back into the room followed closely by Barbara. He felt his eyes role back into his skull as he collapsed to the floor. He felt strong arms envelop him before he passed out.

Bruce felt the word of reality return to him. He couldn't bring himself to move or even open his eyes. He felt his bed under him and heard arguing.

"He needs rest." Alfred insisted.

"I'm not leaving again. I stayed with him last time and then I left for two minutes and this happens!" Dick responded angrily.

"You can't blame yourself." Alfred said.

"I should have gotten there earlier. If I had been just a few minutes sooner Joker wouldn't have been able to stab him." Nightwing said angrily.

"Then be mad at Joker, he was the one that poisoned Master Bruce." Alfred said reasonably.

"I _should_ be mad at Barbara. She made me late to rescue him. I was going to get her when he blacked out." Dick fumed.

"Why did you torture the Joker?" Alfred asked sounding worried.

"I was trying to find Bruce. I found him, end of story." Dick said. Bruce's eyes fluttered open. Alfred and Dick were at the end of the bed talking.

"Can you get me something to drink Alfred?" Bruce asked. The two fell silent and with one last glance between then Alfred went off to fetch something for Bruce to drink.

"How are you feeling?" Dick asked awkwardly. His black hair was ruffled as if he had run his fingers through them repeatedly. That was a nervous habit he had picked up recently. His blue eyes were rimmed with bags as if he hadn't slept in days.

"How many days have I been out?" Bruce asked.

"You passed out yesterday when you got up. That was stupid by the way. Three days ago I got you home and Alfred sewed you up." Dick said casually.

"And you haven't left but once." Bruce commented. Dick shot him a warning glare. "Where did you sleep?" Bruce asked curiously.

"I didn't." Dick responded with a huff. Alfred walked in with a glass of water. Silence fell over the room as Alfred helped Bruce sit up and then handed him the glass. Bruce took a small sip and then coughed.

"I thought you were getting me water." Bruce said through his coughs.

"This is better, it will help to calm you down, keep you here. It's for medical purposes." Alfred said with a small smile.

"I'm fine." Bruce insisted.

"You're not fine!" Dick barked angrily. Glares shot between the two before Dick stormed out.

"Barbara wishes to see you." Alfred said calmly as Barbara walked in.

"Bruce!" She said excitably as she sat down next to him on his bed.

"Barbara." He responded calmly. He had always acted differently with her, she was the one between Dick and himself and he secretly resented her for it.

"How are you feeling?" She asked studying his face. "Joker stabbed you with two poisoned knives. If Dick hadn't gotten there when he did you'd be dead by now." She said with a worried expression.

"If he had gotten there on time none of this would have happened. I had a plan, it would have worked perfectly if he had just done what I said to do. It was simple enough, follow the instructions." Bruce said angrily.

"Well, I did make him late so don't blame him. I'm the one you should be mad at." She said sadly.

"I think I'd just like to rest." He said. She nodded and left the room quietly. "Alfred?" Bruce asked.

"Yes sir?" He responded instantly.

"Can you get Dick? Don't tell him I asked for him just…get him here." Bruce asked. His voice sounded small and scared and he silently thanked Alfred for saying nothing. The butler simply nodded and left the room. Bruce tried to stay awake, he wanted Dick to be there, needed to talk, get things off his chest. He needed to reveal his secret before he lost his nerve. He needed Dick to be there for him. He would most likely regret being so needy, and for so openly asking for Dick's company but the drugs were easily to blame.

"Is he asleep yet?" Dick asked. Bruce could hear the voice through the door that Alfred had left open a crack.

"I gave him strong drugs, he should be asleep by now." Alfred responded.

"Okay, I don't want any more yelling. I don't think he would be able to handle a punch to the face." Dick said gruffly before entering the room. They stopped and stared at Bruce for a moment of shock and in horror for Dick.

"I suppose he's strong enough to hold out." Alfred said calmly as he bustled around the room.

"Or stubborn enough." Dick mumbled.

"Dick." Bruce tried to sound warning but his voice cracked and wavered. He was about to tell Dick that he loved him, that he never meant to hurt him but he was just too confused when it came to emotions. He was going to declare his yearning, unyielding, unwavering love but what came out was not romantic or poetic at all. "I like your face." Bruce slurred before crashing into sleep. Most people drift off to sleep slowly but when you're drugged up and hurt, when you've been fighting off sleep for what seemed like years but was actually only minutes sleep crashes onto you like a car in a high speed chase. Sleep curled its fingers around his mind and dug its nails in. It captured it in an unrelenting grip. He slept restlessly, dreaming of Dick. He saw a disgusted face on him, anger, hate, confusion, all mixed into one expression. When he woke up he was being bombarded by light. He groaned and forced his eyes open. They screamed in pain and protested the invasion. Someone had pulled the curtains open. Bruce growled and tried to move over to the curtains. He made it to the edge of the bed and when he tried to stand he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. He snarled and dragged himself over to the curtains. He tried to pull them shut from his vantage point on the ground but when that didn't work he tried to pull himself up using them. He was almost standing when the drapes ripped and he fell back down as the fabric fluttered to the ground on top of him. Bruce roared in anger and he heard shuffling from the other side of the room.

"How did you manage that?" Dick asked as he picked up the ripped curtain off the crumpled heap of angry man.

"Who opened the damn curtains?" Bruce demanded.

"It's been almost a week since you've been outside." Alfred said as he walked in.

"So just give me some vitamins." Bruce said as if it were clear.

"You weren't keeping anything down. We would try to feed you but you would either fight us or retch it up." Alfred said. Bruce sighed as Alfred put down a tray of food on the bed. "Dick, get him onto the bed." Alfred ordered as he fixed the pillows and blankets. Dick hooked an arm under Bruce's armpits ho help him up Bruce struggled to stand but when he couldn't Dick sighed and hooked another arm under Bruce's knees. Dick picked up his long time mentor and crush bridal style and put him down gently on the bed.

"You two make a lovely couple." Alfred commented slyly. They both shot him a glare before looking apologetically at each other. "You're not together yet?" Alfred asked exasperatedly.

"Alfred." Bruce hissed.

"I should go." Dick said as he began moving to the door.

"Not yet. If he's going to eat I would appreciate your help." Alfred said apologetically.

"I can get Barbara." Dick offered before rushing from the room.

"Bruce." Alfred said in his fatherly reprimanding voice. Bruce glared at him in a silent warning. "Your feelings are not something you can hide forever. He's a clever boy. He will figure it out soon enough. It's better if you just tell him."

"I don't want to talk about this Alfred." Bruce responded angrily. "What am I eating?" He asked as Alfred put the tray on Bruce's lap.

"Pancakes sir." Alfred said as he offered the fork and knife to Bruce.

"I'm not hungry." Bruce said as he pushed the tray away.

"Sir, you must eat." Alfred said exasperatedly.

"Do you still need help?" Dick asked begrudgingly from the door.

"Where's Barbara?" Bruce asked.

"Something happened. She went out." Dick said trying to sound casual.

"What kind of something?" Bruce asked as Dick sat down next to him on the bed.

"Bank heist." Dick responded in a small voice as he began cutting up the pancakes.

"I should be there." Bruce said urgently as he once again tried to get up. Alfred sighed and left the room with one last meaningful glance to Bruce. Dick grabbed Bruce's shoulder and pinned it down to the bed.

"No." He said in a commanding tone. "You need to get better. Eat." He said as he held a forkful of pancake up to Bruce's lips. He had never told anyone but he liked pancakes better without syrup. The pancakes Dick was trying to push into Bruce's mouth were without syrup.

"I don't want any." Bruce tried to say but as he was talking the forkful was pushed into his mouth. He coughed and sputtered around it but chewed and swallowed anyway.

"Taste good?" Dick asked smirking. Bruce just sat there feeling like a child. He felt angry and useless but mostly frustrated. "I've watched you. I know you like them without syrup." He explained calmly as he brought the next forkful of pancakes up to Bruce's lips. "I also know you like subtle things and have a hard time with emotions." Dick said trying to make conversation as Bruce ate. "You like things a certain way and change is unwelcome." Dick rambled on. By the time he was done eating he had been shocked by the amount of knowledge Dick had accumulated about him. "Well you're done eating. I'll go take the dishes to Alfred."

"Dick." Bruce said urgently. "I think it's funny you've noticed all this about me but the one thing you've missed is so big it's almost blinding." Bruce said as Dick stared intently at the door. "You must be oblivious to the way I feel about you." Bruce tried to be calm but his voice had gone down to a whisper. Dick didn't move or say anything. He was facing away from him so Bruce couldn't see his expression. Without a word Dick got up, took the plate and left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Alas I do not own Batman.

Bruce hated himself. What had he done? Why had he said that? That was not something he should have said. He had to leave. He had to get away. He managed to get to the side of the bed and put his feet on the floor but he was still sitting. If he tried to get up and he couldn't someone would find him. Alfred couldn't lift him onto the bed; Barbara would be able to if Bruce would ever even consider the notion of letting her help him, that left Dick. Bruce sighed, he had to do something. He looked around and saw Dick's escrima sticks. He knew how to use them. He just clicked the ends together and they made one long one. He could use it like a cane and with that he could get to the batmobile. He just needed to get away for a little while. He got up and immediately crumpled to the ground. He felt searing pain in his legs where the stitches ripped but he dragged himself to the weapons leaning against the wall. Bruce felt his eyes shut as a memory flooded his mind.

_"What am I supposed to do?" The boy asked. His face was tear stained and sad. Bruce remembered feeling the same way when he was orphaned. He couldn't take in this kid; the boy was ten, only six years younger than him. Bruce must have looked older, he had hit puberty and was tall and big and in his Batman uniform. He couldn't leave this kid here alone, knowing what he was going through._

_"You can come live with me if you want." Batman said to the boy. His face looked so relieved but still had an overwhelming sense of sadness in it._

Bruce was ripped back to the presence; he resumed crawling to the sticks. That was 11 years ago. It does not do to dwell on the past. He made it to them and managed to click them together. Now was the task of standing. As he struggled to stand another memory struck him.

_"He's scary." Dick mumbled as Alfred stood in the corner of the bathroom._

_"Well if you're not going to wash yourself then Alfred's going to." Bruce said as he checked the water. It was a good temperature. He picked the smaller boy up in his arms and put him in the tub._

_"I don't like him Bruce." Dick mumbled watching Alfred carefully._

_"Why?" Bruce asked as he looked at Alfred out of the corner of his eye. Alfred knew Bruce was gay. He knew that Dick was naked. He knew that they were talking about him._

_"He's staring at me." Dick said._

_"Well you are talking about him." Bruce said._

_"I don't like it when people stare at me." Dick mumbled as he turned to Bruce._

_"I'm staring at you." Bruce said._

_"You're different." Dick said._

_"Why is that?" Bruce asked with a smile._

_"Because you're handsome." Dick said with a giggle. Bruce shot Alfred another glance and Alfred smiled before leaving the room._

Bruce managed to stand using the sticks. He was just going to go outside. It was a shorter distance to get there. He just needed some air. He needed to breathe. He needed to get away from the memories that were following him. He needed to escape.

_Bruce and Dick were out practicing sparring in the courtyard. He preferred using hand to hand combat while his apprentice liked sticks better. He had gotten him two sticks to use and a new belt to attach them to for his birthday yesterday and now they were practicing._

_"Come on Bruce." Dick said laughing as he slid out from under another punch and landed a hit with his fancy new escrima stick to Bruce's stomach._

_"Sir, the phone is for you." Alfred said from the doorway as Bruce tackled Dick and pinned his hands above him. He grinned down as he sat on Dick's stomach before getting up and going inside._

_"Don't get cocky. Keep your guard up." Bruce called over his shoulder._

Bruce stared at the stairs angrily. He would never make it down them alive. He figured the best way, would be on his butt so he sat down and began moving down the stairs one bump at a time.

_"Dick, Barbara, come here for a moment." Bruce called from the bottom of the stairs. Barbara came out of the study and walked over to him. Dick laughed as he slid down the banister and hopped off, landing next to Bruce._

_"What's the problem?" Dick asked._

_"Because I'm in charge of this house, we're going to be having chores." Bruce said. He turned to Barbara. "You get to wash dishes." He turned to Dick. "You get to mow the lawn." He turned around and was about to walk away when Dick grabbed his arm._

_"And what are you doing?" He asked with a grin._

_"Saving Gotham." Bruce said with one of his rare smiles that he reserved for only Dick._

He made it to the bottom of the stairs at last and heard voices coming from the study.

"Barbara, go check on him." Dick said.

"I have to go out." She replied.

"One of you must go check on him because I can't leave the kitchen or the soup will spoil." Alfred said as he walked out. Bruce sat on the stairs, just out of sight as Alfred walked by. Bruce heard Barbara walk out the door and waited for her motorcycle to purr in the distance before driving off. He heard Dick begin talking to himself. Planning how the conversation would go.

"Oh hi Bruce. _Hi Dick._ What's up? _Just sitting here brooding._ Remember that time when you said you have feelings for me? _Yep. _Well guess what? _What? _I have the same feelings for you too! _Wonderful! _I know right? _Let's have little gay bat babies together! _Sounds perfect to me." Dick said, using a gravelly voice for Bruce. Bruce shook his head, how was he supposed to respond to that? He took hold of the banister and hauled himself up to a standing position. Dick walked out of the study and his eyes landed on Bruce.

_"Why Bruce? I don't understand." Dick said angrily._

_"She's helpful." Bruce said._

_"I'm sorry." Barbara mumbled._

_"No. You don't get to talk." Dick rounded on Barbara who reeled back as if he had hit her. Bruce could tell Dick was putting a lot of effort into not hitting her._

_"We don't need more people. You have me." Dick turned to Bruce. Damn, he hated being the cause for that wounded look in his eyes._

_"Well I've already made the decision. Anyway, she knows who we are now so we can't go back." Bruce said as he left the room._

"Hi." Dick mumbled as his eyes dropped to the floor.

"You forgot this." Bruce said as he held out Dick's escrima Sticks to with one hand and gripped the banister in the other.

"Alfred's making you soup." Dick said as he took the weapon.

"I heard." Bruce said.

"Barbara left." Dick said as he hooked one arm under Bruce's arms and began helping him up the stairs.

"I heard that too." Bruce said. "Can we go outside?" He asked. Dick looked at him exasperatedly but they turned around and began heading outside slowly.

"What else did you hear?" Dick asked carefully.

"I heard that you wanted to have gay bat babies with me." Bruce said with a smirk. Dick's face went red with embarrassment. "Although somehow I feel like I would never say 'wonderful'." Bruce said smiling at Dick.

"So you don't want to have my gay bat babies?" Dick asked turning to Bruce with mock hurt.

"Shut up." Bruce said with a smile. They laughed as they got outside.

"I don't see a problem." Dick said.

"I do." Bruce responded. He had just told Dick that Barbara and he were not allowed to have a relationship.

"You're just jealous." Dick retorted angrily.

"Oh? And why would I be jealous?" Bruce asked sounding bemused but actually scared at how close Dick was getting to the truth.

"Because catwoman is a villain." Dick said triumphantly. Bruce smiled, catwoman had a crush on him but she knew he was gay.

"Definitely." Bruce said with an eye roll. Dick smirked as he left the room.

Bruce sat in the grass as Dick stood over him.

"Do you remember the first night you stayed here?" Bruce asked looking up at the younger man. Dick, now 21, was an adult. He surely forgot something that happened on a traumatic night more than ten years ago.

"Was that the night where you gave me a bath and I told you that I thought you were handsome?" Dick asked thoughtfully. Bruce smiled and nodded. "I've grown up a lot since then." Dick said with a smile.

"Bruce?" Dick asked. Bruce said as he lay down on the grass and looked up at the man. The sun made it look like there was a halo around his head.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I like your face too." Dick said laughing. Bruce tried to frown at Dick but he couldn't help but laugh.

"Shut up." Bruce said as he pulled Dick's legs out from under him, causing him to fall onto the grass. They wrestled, and due to Bruce's injuries, Dick ended up on top, sitting on Bruce's stomach.

"Don't get cocky, keep your guard up." Dick said with a smirk as he rolled off Bruce and lay in the grass next to him.

* * *

In the weeks following Bruce's injury began healing properly because he stayed in bed. He slept in his lavish bed in his lavish mansion next to his perfect lover, and checked on by his butler. His life, Bruce had to admit, was perfect. Barbara would come into the room to check on them every once in a while when Bruce had said something stupid and Dick had gone back to his room but after a while he would come back and Bruce would apologize for being stupid and everything would go back to normal. Barbara took care of Gotham while Bruce was healing. It was, for all intents and purposes, a good beginning to their love story. Because this story ends with their beginning I will not write the end. I will also not write they lived happily ever after because, as we both know, Bruce is an idiot and they had many fights but always made up. As our story ends, theirs begins so I bid you adieu, until next time my faithful and lovely reader.


End file.
